Hill v. Pollard

32 N.E. 564, 132 Ind. 588, 1892 Ind. LEXIS 117
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 22, 1892
DocketNo. 15,918
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 32 N.E. 564 (Hill v. Pollard) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hill v. Pollard, 32 N.E. 564, 132 Ind. 588, 1892 Ind. LEXIS 117 (Ind. 1892).

Opinion

Olds, J.

— This suit was brought by the appellee against the appellants, Edith A. Hill, Elmer Hill and Lewis Wiley, to have a trust declared, and for partition or sale of the real estate in which he claimed an interest. The complaint originally consisted of six paragraphs, but all were dismissed except the first and second. A demurrer was filed as to the first and second paragraphs and overruled and exceptions reserved, and the appellants answered by general denial. The cause was submitted to the court, and on proper request the court made a special finding of facts and stated its conclusions and rendered judgment in favor of the appellee for TTT‘0 said real estate. Appellants Hill and Hill excepted to the conclusions of law, also filed a motion for new trial, which was overruled and exceptions reserved, and errors are assigned on these rulings. The two paragraphs of the complaint are substantially the same except in one particular. They allege that appellee and appellant Elmer Hill contracted and agreed that a certain tract of land in Decatur county, Indiana, describing it, should be purchased from one Joshua Christy; that the same should be purchased for $5,700; that of said sum appellee should furnish $2,500; that appellant Elmer Hill should pay as hiá part of the purchase price of said land the balance of the purchase price for said land; that Elmer Hill was not to pay his share of said purchase money in cash, but that he expressly agreed with said appellee that in consideration of his, said Pollard’s^ payment of said sum of $2,500 said Hill would assume the payment of two debts secured by a mortgage on said land, one for $700 to and in favor of one William S. Woodfill, [590]*590and one for $2,500 to and in favor of one Jesse Doyle, and by him assigned to one Wiley, who was made a defendant. The mortgages and assignments were made a part of the complaint as exhibits; that the amounts of money so to be advanced by said appellee and said Elmer Hill by the payments as set out in the paragraph was to constitute and determine their respective interests in said land.

It is also alleged that it was further agreed between said appellee and said Elmer Hill that said conveyance should be made by said Christy and his wife Martha to appellant Edith A. Hill, wife of said Elmer Hill, and that she should hold the legal title to said land, but that she should hold the same in trust for the benefit of said appellee, and said Elmer Hill, in accordance with and in pursuance of the aforesaid agreement between said appellee and appellant Elmer Hill; that in pursuance of the aforesaid contract said appellee did furnish the sum of $2,500 to said appellant Elmer Hill, with the express understanding and agreement that the same should be paid to said Joshua Christy as a part payment of said purchase price of said real estate; that in further pursuance of said contract said conveyance by said Christy and wife was made by deed, a copy of which is filed with and made a part of the complaint by exhibit to said appellant Edith Hill; that no part of said purchase money was paid by said Edith Hill; that said Elmer Hill has wholly failed to pay said Wiley any part of the mortgage debt due him, or any interest on the same, but that he has paid the Wood-fill debt.

It is further averred that it was expressly understood and agreed between appellee and appellant Elmer Hill that said Edith was to accept said conveyance and to hold the same in trust to carry out the provisions of said contract as to the respective interests of said parties, and to account to the appellee for his share of the rents and profits in said land as his interest in said land entitled him to; that it was further agreed that if appellee became dissatisfied and desired [591]*591the land to be sold and his interest paid to him, the land should be sold and appellee’s interest paid to him.

It is further averred that appellant Edith Hill accepted said conveyance with full knowledge of the facts and circumstances and contract aforesaid between appellee and her husband, she having the knowledge at and before the time she accepted the conveyance; thát appellee is and for a long time has been dissatisfied and desirous to have the land sold, and the trust terminated, and the appellants, Hill and Hill, and each of them, fail and refuse to acknowledge the interest of appellee in the land, that said appellant Edith Hill holds the same and denies the interest of the appellee in the land.

The second paragraph expressly avers that the deed was so taken in the name of said Edith Hill in accordance with the agreement and without any fraudulent intent. The first paragraph does not contain any averment that the deed was so taken without any fraudulent intent, though the pleading shows by its averments that the deed was made in pursuance of a purchase for full consideration paid and to be paid, and the deed taken in the name of Edith Hill by mutual agreement of the parties paying the purchase-money and with her knowledge of and assent to such contract.

It is urged that the first paragraph is bad for the reason that it contains no averment to the effect that the transaction was a good faith transaction, made without any fraudulent intent. It is unnecessary to consider this question any further than to say that the second paragraph does contain such an averment, and the court, by its 14th finding of fact, finds that the arrangement for the purchase of said farm and the placing of the title thereof in said Edith A. Hill was made in good faith and without any intention on the part of plaintiff in this cause to defraud his creditors.”

From this finding it is clearly apparent that the appellants were not harmed by the ruling on the demurrer in overruling of the demurrer to the first paragraph, and that the [592]*592finding and judgment rests on the second paragraph. The material fact omitted from the first paragraph was considered, tried and determined, and the court made a special finding of the material fact alleged to be omitted in the first paragraph. The rule governing in such cases is well and clearly stated in Elliott’s Appellate Procedure, section 666, and the authorities collected supporting the rule. In that section it is said : If the record proper clearly shows that the judgment rests on the good paragraph or paragraphs, there is no available error, since the court can see from an inspection of the record that no harm was done the complaining party.”

In this case it plainly appears that the omitted fact was determined and a finding of the fact by the court in its special finding of facts, and no harm was done the complaining party by the ruling, and, therefore, the court will not reverse the judgment on account of such error, it being harmless.

The next question presented arises on the overruling of the motion for a new trial, questioning the correctness of the facts as found by the court. We have examined the evidence and think it fairly supports the findings. True, there is a conflict in the evidence, but the weight to be given to the various items of evidence, or statements of witnesses, must be determined by the trial court.

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Bluebook (online)
32 N.E. 564, 132 Ind. 588, 1892 Ind. LEXIS 117, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hill-v-pollard-ind-1892.